One of Clitheroe’s finest buildings has just reappeared after being wrapped in scaffold and sheeting for many months. The elaborate stonework of the Carnegie Library has been carefully restored and protected by Lancashire County Council. It now looks splendid in its landmark location.
The building was designed in 1904 by Blackburn architects, Briggs and Wolstenholme who designed many excellent buildings (often with Sir Arnold Thornley) including, Great Harwood Town Hall (1898-1900), Hollins Road Congregational Church, Darwen (1907), Burnley Building Society head office, Burnley (1927-30) and the monumental King Georges Hall, Police Court and Sessions House in Blackburn (1912-21).
On the outside, the Carnegie Library has the feel of a French Loire Chateau but with Art Nouveau and Gothic nuances. On the inside, Art Nouveau comes to the fore and it is worth popping in to have a look. The whole building is a stylish and sophisticated piece of architecture built at a time when standards were much higher than today.
